The RIC Mooting Team Shines at the Vis Moot Competition in Bahrain
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The Mooting Team of the Royal Institute of Colombo (RIC) emerged as the Runners-Up among 17 countries at the Willem C. Vis Middle Eastern International Commercial Arbitration Pre-Moot Competition (The Vis Moot), held from the 5th to the 9th of March 2019, in Bahrain.
The RIC team comprising of Chirasthi Seneviratne, Harish Balakrishnan, Iranthi Walgama, and Minul Muhandiramge will represent Sri Lanka in the Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition to be held in Hong Kong in March 2019. The Vis Moot is an international moot court competition, held annually, attracting more than 300 law schools from all around the world and spurring the creation of more than 20 pre-moots each year before the actual rounds, and is considered a grand slam moot in arbitration.
The team broke into the finals after facing quarter-finals, semi-finals, as well as four preliminary rounds against teams from Tunis, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and 17 other countries across Asia, adjudged by eminent commercial lawyers and arbitrators from the Middle East.
The team was coached throughout by Ms Shamilka Karunanayake and Mr Sulaiman Rameez of the Sri Lanka Law College, alumni of the Vis Moot. Their combined considerable list of achievements includes the award for the best oral advocate for Claimant at the Bahrain Pre-Moot, an honourable mention in Hong Kong, and being part of the team which was placed the 8th finalist, while also winning honourable mention awards for both the Claimant and Respondent memoranda. The RIC team was mentored by Mr Harprabdeep Singh, who is a Vis alumnus himself and is currently a barrister in Hong Kong.
The team was fully funded by the Commercial Law Development Programme of the United States, Department of Commerce (CLDP), and USAID, under the guidance of Mr Zmarak Khan.